X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Week 10 Defense (DEF) Streamers and Starts - 2019 Fantasy Tiers, Rankings

Joey Bosa - IDP Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Fantasy Football DST Rankings, Defense Streamers

Bill Dubiel breaks down all 2019 fantasy football Week 10 defenses (DEF) -- draft targets, streamers, sits/starts, and D/ST waiver wire pickups to add. His Week 10 rankings and tiers for all of the NFL defenses.

We've arrived at the dreaded six-team bye week, so there are even fewer DST streaming options out there than normal. That's not to say there aren't some real winners to be found, but almost none of them are surefire streaming studs at first glance.

Below are RotoBaller's Week 10 defense tiers and rankings, or which defenses to stream, start and target off the waiver wire for Week 10 of the NFL and fantasy football season. In case you missed it, this is our seventh year now writing this weekly column.

Our weekly tiered defense rankings are a guide to making waiver wire pickups to improve your lineups, and to decide which defenses to start, sit, target, avoid or stream for Week 10. Starting the right defense every week can be a difference-maker. Below we have broken out our defense rankings into tiers with analysis on each matchup. Some of these Week 10 defenses have good matchups and are not widely-owned, representing fantasy scoring opportunities if they are available on your league's waiver wire for a Week 9 pickup or add. Good luck in Week 10 RotoBallers!

Editor's Note: Access RotoBaller’s trusted fantasy football rankings for PPR, Standard, Dynasty, Super Flex, and Best Ball formats. Get tiered cheat sheets, expert analysis, and player outlooks to dominate your draft from every angle.

 

Week 10 Defenses To Start & Stream: Tiers & Rankings

Typically the top three tiers will be DSTs you should target, with Tier 4 being options in deep leagues and Tier 5 being desperation plays or good defenses in horrendous matchups.

Returning for this year: Confidence Ratings - since every league's DST scoring is different, projections don't always make a ton of sense. The confidence rating is a guideline for how much more I like one team over another instead of a straight point projection. A zero means "do not start," then the confidence rises from there. I take a lot of factors into account here--opponent injuries, home field advantage, weather, etc. We've got four weeks of data to work with now, so we're going to be able to be a bit more precise basing our ratings on hard numbers.

On bye this week: New England Patriots, Jacksonville Jaguars, Philadelphia Eagles, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Washington Redskins

 

Tier 1 Defenses

Rank Tier DST Opponent Confidence Rating
1 1 Baltimore Ravens Defense @ CIN 13.4
2 1 Buffalo Bills Defense @ CLE 12.75

The Ravens have pieced together a nice little run, holding each of their last three opponents--two of whom are the Seahawks and Patriots--to 20 points on the scoreboard or fewer. They've got at least one interception in each of their last five games as well, but we all know what this ranking is about. Ryan Finley will be stepping in for the recently-benched Andy Dalton, and you simply can't expect a kid making his first career start with that offensive line (29 sacks allowed) protecting him to do well.

Baker Mayfield barely looks like an NFL quarterback, the Bills defense is third in yards allowed per game, third in points allowed per game and have at least three sacks in three of their last four games. The only red flag here is that the Bills have been gashed on the ground lately, and with Nick Chubb on deck they're going to need to clean that up in a hurry.

 

Tier 2 Defenses

Rank Tier DST Opponent Confidence Rating
3 2 New Orleans Saints Defense vs. ATL 11.6
4 2 Los Angeles Rams Defense @ PIT 11.1
5 2 Los Angeles Chargers Defense @ OAK 10.5
6 2 Indianapolis Colts Defense vs. MIA 10.15
7 2 Detroit Lions Defense @ CHI 9.45

The Chargers pass rush is starting to shine once again, with Melvin Ingram returning to the field and Joey Bosa continuing to be a dominant force. They abused Aaron Rodgers and the entire Packers offense on Sunday, and should have some success again this week. They fall outside the top three due to the unexpectedly good offensive line play of the Raiders, which has been a big factor in the rise of Josh Jacobs, and the intelligent play of Derek Carr, who has a 7:1 TD-INT ratio over his last three games.

The Lions will rarely find themselves any higher than Tier 4, but with Matt Nagy continuing to commit to Mitchell Trubisky at quarterback, you have to take notice of any defense he faces. He's barely able to manage over 150 yards in any game, and if David Montgomery and Tarik Cohen don't move the ball, the Bears offense as a whole barely moves. Honestly the worst case scenario for the Lions this week is Trubisky being benched for veteran Chase Daniel--which I'd wager happens at half time.

 

Middle and Lower Tier Defenses

Tier 3 Defenses

Rank Tier DST Opponent Confidence Rating
8 3 San Francisco 49ers Defense vs. SEA 8.65
9 3 Carolina Panthers Defense @ GB 8.2
10 3 Pittsburgh Steelers Defense vs. LAR 7.55
11 3 Chicago Bears Defense vs. DET 6.95
12 3 Dallas Cowboys Defense vs. MIN 6.3

The 49ers boast a truly elite defense, which is why you'll still find them as a startable option here. However, they draw MVP front-runner Russell Wilson and the fourth-ranked Seattle offense this week, which knocks them down to Tier 3. Wilson and Tyler Lockett are one of the best QB-WR duos in football right now, and with DK Metcalf ascending into the #2 spot in the passing attack the Seahawks are all of a sudden extremely explosive. An immovable object meeting an unstoppable force scenario here, and unfortunately that means the 49ers a merely an average DST option this week.

The Bears, like so many defenses before them, have faltered just one year after a remarkable season. They've managed double-digit fantasy points in just three of eight games in 2019, and they've seen their counting stats plummet across the board. They're at home this week, which is of certainly a plus for them, but their opponent is intimidating. The loss of Kerryon Johnson has unleashed the full potential of Matthew Stafford, Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones, turning that offense into a more one-dimensional yet explosive aerial attack. I'm not feeling especially confident in the Bears right now.

 

Tier 4 Defenses

Rank Tier DST Opponent Confidence Rating
13 4 New York Giants Defense @ NYJ 5.5
14 4 Kansas City Chiefs Defense @ TEN 5.1
15 4 Green Bay Packers Defense vs. CAR 4.6
16 4 Seattle Seahawks Defense @ SF 4.1
17 4 Minnesota Vikings Defense @ DAL 3.45

The Chiefs defense has done enough to win games this season, and that's about it. They're 15th in interceptions (6), 15th in points allowed per game (22.7), and 14th in fumble recoveries (5). They do have 26 sacks on the season, which is good for seventh in the NFL, but remember that nine of them came in one bloodbath against Denver in Week 7. The upside is limited, especially with Ryan Tannehill providing a boost to the Tennessee offense.

The Vikings have been a top-flight DST option for much of the season, and the pass rush has been particularly effective lately, as they've notched nine total sacks in their last two games. That was against the Redskins and Chiefs though--they'll find much tougher sledding this week against Dallas, who just wrapped up dismantling the Giants as I write this. The Cowboys have done a terrific job keeping Dak Prescott upright, as they've allowed just 10 total sacks on the season. Their offensive attack is balanced, with Ezekiel Elliott keeping defenses honest and Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup doing damage over the top. Ultimately I just see a very low ceiling for the Vikings in Week 10.

 

Tier 5 Defenses

Rank Tier DST Opponent Confidence Rating
18 5 Oakland Raiders Defense vs. LAC 2.8
19 5 Tennessee Titans Defense vs. KC 2.25
20 5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Defense vs. ARI 1.7
21 5 New York Jets Defense vs. NYG 1.5
22 5 Arizona Cardinals Defense @ TB 1.15

More Fantasy Football Analysis


Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Sonny Milano

on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Yu Darvish

to Make Season Debut on Monday
MLB

Nationals Fire Dave Martinez, Mike Rizzo
Jakub Dobes

Signs Two-Year Deal with Canadiens
KaVontae Turpin

Arrested on Two Charges
Cole Ragans

to Begin Throwing on Monday
Theo Johnson

Prioritizing his Health this Offseason
Andrés Giménez

Andres Gimenez Hits 10-Day Injured List
Jermaine Burton

Continues to Show Growth
NHL

Hendrix Lapierre Signs One-Year Deal with Capitals
Carson Hocevar

Should DFS Players Consider Carson Hocevar for Chicago Lineups?
Tye Kartye

Kraken Re-Sign Tye Kartye for Two Years
Ross Chastain

May be A Decent DFS Option for Chicago Lineups
Dmitri Voronkov

Signs Two-Year, $8.35 Million Extension with Blue Jackets
Ryan Preece

Should DFS Players Roster Ryan Preece at Chicago?
Austin Dillon

Is Too Great of A Risk to Add to Chicago Lineups
Zane Smith

Is A Value Play Worth Rostering At Chicago
Austin Hill

is A Favorable Value Option for Chicago DFS Lineups
Ty Dillon

Is Ty Dillon A Decent Driver to Add For NASCAR DFS At Chicago?
William Byron

Qualifying Crash Makes William Byron a Likely DFS Must-Have
Alex Bowman

Should Finish Well, but Probably Costs Too Much for Serious DFS Consideration
Joey Logano

Has Been Relatively Mediocre on Road Courses Lately
Ryan Blaney

Doesn't Really Fit Neatly into Optimal DFS Lineups
Austin Cindric

Remains an Overrated Road Racer
Brad Keselowski

Likely to Brush Past Chicago Street Course to Focus on Daytona
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek One of the Best Underdog Options After Strong Runs at Mexico City and Last Year
Cole Custer

Strong Mexico City Run and Xfinity Series Chicago Win Make Him a Solid DFS Option
Erik Jones

Likely Not Good Enough on Road Courses for DFS Consideration Despite Poor Qualifying Result
Noah Gragson

May Be Better Than Other Cheap DFS Options
Riley Herbst

Despite Decent Mexico City Run, Don't Expect Riley Herbst to Contend at Chicago
Cody Ware

Is a Road Course Veteran, but It's Rarely Helped Him in NASCAR
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Is The Heavy Favorite to Win at Chicago Street Course
Christopher Bell

Should Be Strong Despite Practice Struggles at Chicago Street Course
Cam Ward

"Not Expecting" to be handed Starting Job
Chase Claypool

Eager to Get Back on the Field
Wyatt Langford

Activated, Playing on Saturday
Jay Huff

on the Move to Indiana
Cam Whitmore

Wizards Acquire Cam Whitmore from the Rockets
LaJohntay Wester

Stands out on Special Teams
Clarke Schmidt

Likely to Undergo Tommy John Surgery
Nolan Arenado

Scratched from Saturday's Lineup
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Starting on Saturday
Corbin Carroll

Activated from 10-Day Injured List
Cincinnati Bengals

Shemar Stewart, Bengals Continue Contract Talks, No Progress Made
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Potential Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade may not Happen Until "August, September"
Ha-Seong Kim

Removed Early During Season Debut
ARI

Christian Fischer Retires From NHL at 28
NHL

Spencer Martin Moves to Russia
WAS

Anthony Beauvillier Re-Signs With Capitals for Two Years
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Sitting Out With Foot Issue
Isaiah Neyor

Impresses at Minicamp
Houston Rockets

Jock Landale Waived by Rockets
Bo Bichette

Back in Blue Jays Lineup
Jonas Valančiūnas

Jonas Valanciunas Considering Returning to Europe
Miles Sanders

Works With Starters During Mandatory Minicamp
Jabari Walker

Signs Two-Way Deal With Sixers
Chimere Dike

Titans Could Move Chimere Dike Inside
Keandre Lambert-Smith

KeAndre Lambert-Smith not Guaranteed Roster Spot
Anthony Bradford

Working Hard to Win Back Starting Job
Byron Young

Still Improving?
Cody Simon

Jonathan Gannon has Been Impressed With Cody Simon
SirVocea Dennis

has Impressive Offseason
Trevor Penning

Could Still Have a Role in New Orleans
Jonathan Kuminga

Warriors Decline Recent Offer for Jonathan Kuminga
Orlando Magic

Moritz Wagner, Magic Agree to One-Year Deal
Clarke Schmidt

Placed on Injured List
José Soriano

Jose Soriano Throws Gem Against Braves
Robbie Ray

Earns Ninth Win in Complete Game
T.J. Watt

Likely to Reset the Edge-Rush Market
George Springer

Blasts Two Homers, Drives in Four
James Wood

Goes Yard in Five-Hit Night
Bradley Beal

Suns Discussing Potential Buyout
Los Angeles Lakers

Jaxson Hayes Staying with the Lakers
NBA

Damian Lillard "Open" to Signing With a Team This Offseason
Max Muncy

Out at Least Six Weeks
Clarke Schmidt

Leaves Start with Forearm Tightness
Colson Montgomery

Promoted to the Major Leagues
Pittsburgh Steelers

Omar Khan, Steelers Agree to Three-Year Contract
Max Muncy

Goes on Injured List With Knee Bruise
SJ

Sharks Claim Nick Leddy Off Waivers
SJ

Sharks Sign Dmitry Orlov to Two-Year, $13 Million Contract
CAR

Nikolaj Ehlers Joins Hurricanes on Six-Year Contract
Chau Smith-Wade

Having Stellar Offseason
Ace Bailey

Inks Rookie Contract With Jazz
Divine Deablo

Could be the Quarterback of the Defense
Isaiah Rodgers

a Likely Starter for the Vikings
Boston Celtics

Josh Minott Inks Deal With Celtics
Sandro Mamukelashvili

Heading to Toronto
Jared McCain

Not on 76ers Summer League Roster
Dylan Harper

Unavailable for California Classic
COL

Brent Burns Inks One-Year Deal with Avalanche
STL

Blues Land Pius Suter on Two-Year Deal
Morgan Frost

Agrees to Two-Year Extension with Flames
WPG

Gustav Nyquist Moves to Winnipeg
Cody Glass

Devils Re-Sign Cody Glass to Two-Year Deal
PIT

Anthony Mantha Joins Penguins
Cleveland Cavaliers

Larry Nance Jr. Headed Back to Cavaliers
Eric Gordon

Remaining with 76ers
Los Angeles Lakers

Deandre Ayton Joining Lakers
Emil Heineman

Signs Two-Year Deal with Islanders
Simon Holmstrom

Re-Signs with Islanders for Two Years
UTA

Nate Schmidt Signs Three-Year Deal with Mammoth
UTA

Brandon Tanev Moves to Utah on Three-Year Contract
Dallas Mavericks

Dante Exum Returning to Dallas
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Has Surgery to Repair a Turf Toe Injury
Bud Cauley

in Great Form Ahead of John Deere Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

a Player to Avoid at John Deere Classic
Jake Knapp

Riding Momentum Ahead of John Deere Classic
PGA

Sungjae Im Looking for Consistency at John Deere Classic
Ryan Gerard

a Solid Option at John Deere Classic
Rickie Fowler

Looking to Rebound at John Deere Classic
Cameron Champ

a Volatile Option at John Deere Classic
Jackson Suber

Staying Below 70 is Key to Success for Jackson Suber
Kevin Roy

Playing Better Heading into John Deere Classic
Justin Lower

Hoping for Something Positive in Illinois
Ben Kohles

a Long Shot at John Deere Classic
Stephan Jaeger

Attempts to Stop Roller-Coaster Ride
Beau Hossler

Needs a Challenge in Illinois
Harry Higgs

Has Potential at John Deere Classic
Nick Dunlap

Keeps Plugging Through Tough 2025 Season
Kevin Yu

a Near Must-Play at TPC Deere Run
PGA

J.T. Poston Returns to John Deere Classic Looking for Another High Finish
Thriston Lawrence

a Decent Fit For John Deere Classic
Tom Kim

Not Finding Much to be Happy About Ahead of John Deere Classic
Si Woo Kim

is a Prohibitive Fade at John Deere Classic
Ben Griffin

is the Appropriate Favorite at TPC Deere Run
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF